


and so comes the dawn

by DizzyDrea



Category: Godzilla: King of The Monsters (2019)
Genre: Aftermath, Angst, Canonical Character Death, Coda, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-09
Updated: 2019-09-09
Packaged: 2020-10-12 23:30:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20572730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DizzyDrea/pseuds/DizzyDrea
Summary: Godzilla had saved the day. He'd defeated Ghidora and subdued the other Titans. Mark might have developed a modicum—just a tiny sliver, mind—of respect for the overgrown lizard in the last few days. Maybe. Just a little.Didn't mean he wanted to see the beast again. Ever.





	and so comes the dawn

**Author's Note:**

> I finally saw _Godzilla: King of the Monsters_ over the Labor Day weekend. I was blown away and couldn't stop thinking about it. And then this story started forming in my mind and wouldn't let go until I'd written it. The Muse was sparked by this movie in a way she hasn't been in quite a while, which was kind of fun. I plan to watch it a few more times over the next month, so we'll see what else shakes out. I have a feeling I'll be revisiting the original giant green rage-monster.
> 
> Disclaimer: Godzilla and all its particulars belongs to Toho Studios, Legendary pictures, Michael Dougherty, Zach Shields and a lot of other people who aren't me. I'm doing this for fun and for practice. Mostly for fun.

~o~

Mark Russell stood in the command center of Castle Bravo, staring at the live feed of the drone circling Boston. Or what used to be Boston.

Home, if he'd ever felt tied to a place in that way.

He and Emma had chosen a nomadic existence, to follow the work wherever it led. They'd taken Maddie and Andrew along for the ride, promising them adventure and a global perspective, as if kids cared about anything more than having their parents beside them and access to their favorite video games.

Now, both Andrew and Emma were dead, and their world was in ruins. 

He sighed, deep and long. For just a tiny moment, more of a split-second passing thought than a real wish, he wanted the chance to say 'I told you so'. To Emma. To Serizawa. To anyone and everyone who'd ever thought that Godzilla rising from the depths of the ocean was in any way, shape or form a good idea.

And yet, Godzilla had saved the day. He'd defeated Ghidora and subdued the other Titans. Mark might have developed a modicum—just a tiny sliver, mind—of respect for the overgrown lizard in the last few days. Maybe. Just a little.

Didn't mean he wanted to see the beast again. Ever.

A slim hand, cool through the fabric of his shirt, ghosted over his shoulder as its owner—Ilene Chen, looking as pale and worn and _old_ as they all felt—drifted into his field of view.

"Are you okay?" she asked quietly.

Mark snorted. "Not sure I'm even allowed to be okay at this point. How's Maddie?"

"She is… resting," Ilene said. She frowned. "She is restless. Her grief weighs heavily on her."

"Losing her mom on top of losing Andrew…" Mark said, shaking his head. "No kid should have to go through that."

"It isn't only losing her mother," Ilene said. "Whatever part she played in Jonah's plans—"

"But she didn't," Mark said sharply. "She wasn't involved. She had no idea her mother was going to… do that."

"And she is young, and prone to taking on guilt when it isn't hers to bear," Ilene said softly.

Mark hung his head, a fresh wave of his own guilt rushing over his mind. "I'll talk to her. Make sure she understands."

"Be sure you remind yourself as well," Ilene said.

"Sure," Mark huffed, squinting at her. "When'd you get so smart?"

Ilene shrugged. "I grew up. I think we all did these last few days."

"Yeah," Mark said. "Did you need anything? We haven't talked much since all this went down."

"I am well, Mark," Ilene said. "Though I think Rick was looking for you."

"Any idea what he wanted?" Mark asked. 

"I think—"

"There you are."

Mark turned around to find Rick Stanton walking into the command center. 

"What's going on?" Mark asked warily. Rick looking for him could be good or bad, depending on what he'd heard from the UN.

"Nothing new since we left Boston," Rick said. "Godzilla finally returned to the sea, probably to recharge, and the rest of the Titans have wandered off. No idea where to, but we're tracking them all for now. What a fucking mess."

Mark glanced at the drone feed of the ruin that used to Boston. He had to agree; Boston was a smoking crater on par with San Francisco and Las Vegas five years ago. It seemed like, just when they'd finally pulled themselves up out of one devastating crisis, another one took its place. At least they'd been able to evacuate the people before the monster throwdown had demolished the city. Even days later, that level of destruction was still hard to fathom.

"Any radiation readings so far?" Mark asked.

"Radiation is on par with what we saw in San Francisco," Rick said. "If it's anything like that city, I'd estimate that in another five years, the radiation will be gone and we'll be able to start the rebuilding."

"Well, that's something, at least," Mark said.

"Listen, we need to talk," Rick said.

"I can go," Ilene said, turning for the exit.

"No, stay," Rick said. "This impacts you, too."

Ilene moved closer to Mark, giving Rick a critical once-over, as if she could divine all his secrets with one quick glance. Rick squirmed, then cleared his throat.

"So, it's like this: Monarch was Serizawa's baby. Always has been, even if he didn't found it," Rick said. "He was the catalyst for much of what we now understand about the Titans. He made this his life's work."

"I know," Mark said. He had a notebook full of Serizawa's thoughts and discoveries burning a hole in his pocket. Sam had shoved it at him as soon as they'd boarded the Argo after the whole shitshow in Boston.

"Right. So now we need someone to take over. Be the leader Sensei was."

There was a pregnant pause, where Mark tried to sort out how that in any way involved him when the penny dropped. "Oh, fuck no. You do not want me leading this flying circus."

"You are precisely who we need running Monarch," Rick said quietly.

"But I fucking hate those things," Mark practically shouted, pointing in the general direction of Boston and the ghosts of the Titans he could still see running around town. "I was the one who wanted to destroy Godzilla, remember?"

"And that's why we need you to take over Serizawa's work," Rick said. "Ultimately, I think he was blinded by his love of the Titans. He couldn't be objective enough to do what was necessary. Now, I'm not saying that destroying them was a good idea, for obvious reasons, but having some perspective on the whole Titan issue might have been helpful."

"Jesus," Mark said, running his fingers through his hair. "I can't believe this."

"It gets worse," Rick said.

"Fuck," Mark said. He took a deep breath. "Okay, lay it on me."

"Okay, so, I don't know anything for sure, but I've been hearing rumors," Rick said. 

"Rumors?" Mark asked.

"Yeah, rumors. Like the military might want to use the Oxygen Destroyer to kill the Titans," Rick said. "I mean, it worked on Godzilla. Sort of. And if they could get enough Titans together in one place, they'd only have to do it a couple of times."

"That's just—I don't even have words for how stupid that is," Mark said. "Ghidora couldn't have been the only one of his kind. What happens when another one like him comes here? Did they think about that?"

"Probably not a lot of thought going into this in the first place," Rick said. "The thing is, they'd need us to help them find the Titans. Lure them out."

"I may not like Godzilla, but I'm not going to destroy him just because the military is short-sighted enough to believe that's the answer to all our problems," Mark said. He huffed. "Anything else?"

"More rumors," Rick said. "Like maybe Monarch gets absorbed into the EPA or the Pentagon."

"That's a bad idea," Mark said. "I doubt the UN would go for it. Too much control in one country's hands."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean the UN couldn't just disband us," Rick said. "Defund us and force us to close our doors. That would leave a clear path for some government agency to just step in and take over."

"You know, none of this is making me want to take the job," Mark said.

Rick huffed a laugh. "I know, right? But here's the thing. If we have a snowball's chance in hell of staying alive as an organization, and maybe even doing some good in the world, we need someone who can tell all these government agencies to fuck off."

"And you think that guy is me?" Mark asked. "Why don't you do it?"

"Because I'm not…" Rick sighed. "I'm a scientist, Mark. I know—" he held up a hand to forestall any comment "—you are too. But you cut through the bullshit when we needed that most. And you put yourself at risk because you believed the solution we had was the best option for survival. I'm not blowing smoke up your ass, either. You're the right guy for this job, precisely because you're not heavily invested in the Titans."

"Objectivity, huh?" Mark said. He turned to Ilene, who'd quietly watched the whole conversation. "What do you think?"

"I think Rick is correct," she said. "We need someone to guide us who is not wrapped up in the Titans. Someone with perspective, who will see the people involved, not just the monsters. You have always been a good man, Mark. I believe you can do this." She smiled at him, a smile tinged with sadness. "Besides, Sensei asked you to take care of us. I think he would be pleased to have you lead his team."

"Well, damn," Mark said. Serizawa's last words rang in his ears. He'd promised the other man he'd do what it took to keep them all alive. Maybe that wasn't the same thing, but he knew Serizawa would be glad to see his organization in Mark's hands.

"Yeah, okay, I'll do it," Mark said, sighing heavily. He felt maybe a little guilty for saying yes without checking with Maddie, but he thought she'd understand.

Rick blew out a breath, as if he'd been holding it for a while. "Okay. Fine. Good."

"So, where do we start?" Mark asked.

"Funding," Ilene said before Rick could say anything. "We need to secure funding, but not from the UN or any of the world's governments. If we are to remain neutral and true to our path to understand and protect the Titans, we must not be beholden to any one government agency."

"Agreed," Rick said. "I'll get Sam and we'll start brainstorming some revenue sources we can tap. We should also probably find a lawyer or ten. I have a feeling we're going to be testifying before a lot of government committees in the near future."

"Joy," Mark muttered.

"Hey," Rick said. He slapped Mark on the shoulder. "Welcome back."

"Thanks," Mark said, smirking.

He watched Rick head out of the command center, his mind reeling with all the tasks they'd need to accomplish between now and the next crisis. He still wasn't sure if this was a good idea, but he was willing to try.

"You sure about this?" he said, turning to look at Ilene.

"Just as the Titans have their new alpha, so now does Monarch have the same," she said, a small smile on her face. "Forged in fire and fierce in his commitment to duty."

"That's laying it on a bit thick, don't you think?" Mark asked.

Ilene only smiled at him as she walked away.

Mark hitched his hands on his hips, taking a deep breath. He let it out slowly, clearing his mind as he did, the way Sensei taught him. The task before him was huge, but as with any journey, the first step was always the most difficult. But he'd manage, if only to honor Serizawa and the mission he'd called his own.

~Finis


End file.
